


The Concept of Soulmates

by TsingaDark



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 18:49:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10039433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TsingaDark/pseuds/TsingaDark
Summary: Dan hates the idea of soulmates. If it weren’t for that stupid sentence on the skin above his hipbone, he would ignore that the concept exists at all.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Acespacedweller](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acespacedweller/gifts).



> I wrote this for a friend who was having a not so good day, so I hope that this will make it somewhat better  
> however, that also means that I very quickly wrote this and didn't really proof read this or anything, sorry for that
> 
> also, I took the idea for this from [this post](http://virgno.tumblr.com/post/149729543490/soulmate-au-where-instead-of-having-the-first)

Dan hates the idea of soulmates. If it weren’t for that stupid sentence on the skin above his hipbone, he would ignore that the concept exists at all. He tries to do that anyway, to pretend that there aren’t words etched into his skin that dictate who he will spend the rest of his life with. 

It’s not even that he doesn’t want that, someone to have close and to cuddle with and talk to all the time. No, that’s something he’s wanted since he noticed how his mum and dad looked at each other and all those  _ moments  _ between them so full of love and comfort and warmth. 

The problem he has with this whole soulmate thing is that he can’t choose for himself who his so-called other half is going to be. It irks him that this is something he can’t change, no matter how much he wants to. The universe or whoever’s decided on this crappy concept doesn’t give a damn about what Dan wants, it simply decided over his head, making the words appear on his skin on his fifth birthday. He tries not to pay attention to them anymore but even without looking he knows exactly what they say, will probably never get the words out of his head no matter how much he tries.

A few years ago he’d liked the idea of someone being out there just for him, someone he could be sure would like him back. But now it feels more like his imminent doom, finding that one person that will complete him in a way no one else can.

The thing is, he doesn’t need that anymore. He’s heard enough horror stories of people who married despite not knowing if they were soulmates or not, only to discover that they, in fact, weren’t. While it isn’t strictly required to drop everything and be with your soulmate, choosing someone else above your soulmate is quite frowned upon by society. And although Dan doesn’t generally follow any societal rules, he can’t help but feel caged by them anyway. 

All these universal laws about soulmates make him sick, so he tries not to think about them most of the time. The problem with that, though, is that everytime he looks at Phil, he’s reminded of why exactly he hates the concept of soulmates, of those words on his skin that will eventually tell him who he belongs to. 

They had met in 7th grade, right before the first class of the new school year had started. Dan, being late as always, had been on his way to math and had run straight into Phil after he’d rounded the last corner. They’d both fallen to the floor in a flurry of limbs - both of them already awkwardly tall for their age - and it’d taken Dan several seconds to realise that he was actually on top of another guy, probably crushing him. For some reason, instead of getting up and apologising like a normal person, Dan had started laughing. Luckily for him, Phil had found the entire thing equally as funny and after they’d finally managed to get up and stop giggling, they’d found out they were in the same classes. Needless to say, they’d become fast friends after that.

It’s been a few years since then but their friendship has only got stronger over the years and now Dan isn’t able to envision his life without Phil. They spend most of their time together, in school, after school, at the weekend, during the holidays - at this rate Dan feels like they might as well be one person if it weren’t for the obvious differences in their personalities. 

They’re currently sitting on Phil’s bed, doing homework, or at least pretending they are, while listening to a playlist of their favourite Muse songs. Phil’s singing along, badly, and making up his own lyrics, and even though Dan would usually join him or laugh at Phil’s attempts to rhyme, his thoughts are on the words above his hipbone again. It’s not that he wants to think about them, quite the opposite actually, but he’s supposed to write a stupid essay about soulmates that he doesn’t even remember the exact assignment for, and he just can’t stop thinking about the possibility of meeting his soulmate and the way it makes his stomach twist. 

He peeks at Phil, who’s now gone over to singing and attempting to draw Lewis structures at the same time, which probably isn’t the best combination. He looks happy - his eyes shining, the corners of his mouth curving upwards, his fringe falling messily across his forehead. It makes Dan want to reach out and touch, to softly brush his hands over Phil’s black hair and draw Phil’s gaze to him. 

As if Phil’s sensed Dan’s thoughts, he’s suddenly looking up and at him, smiling, and in that moment, Dan knows that whoever will say those damned words on his skin will not be the person he’s going to spend his life with because he’ll never be able to live without Phil. 

He must’ve been staring for a bit too long when Phil raises an eyebrow, or tries to at least. “What?” he asks over the loud music.

“Nothing,” Dan quickly says, shaking his head and looking back at the blank piece of paper in front of him. For a short moment he thinks that Phil will let it slide, that he’ll go back to his chemistry homework, but then the music stops and Phil’s hand appears in his field of vision.

“What’s wrong?” he asks softly, as if Dan were a scared animal needing to be consoled. “And don’t say nothing because I can see that’s a lie,” Phil adds just as Dan was about to repeat his earlier word. 

“I-” Dan starts and swallows. He’s getting nervous, his legs and hands starting to tremble slightly. He doesn’t want to tell Phil what’s on his mind but at the same time he feels like Phil might be the only person that would actually understand. 

“It’s, um, do you,” he says, keeping his gaze fixed on Phil’s hand on his thigh. It’s warm and light and  _ comforting  _ in a way. “I just-” he cuts himself off again, annoyed that he doesn’t know how to put all of this into words, how right it feels to have Phil near him, to simply be with him, even if they’re only doing their homework. 

“Whatever it is, it’s okay,” Phil says suddenly and Dan can’t help but look at him. “I won’t judge you or anything, you know I won’t.”

“I know,” Dan says quickly because it’s important to him that this is simply something Dan is being silly about. It shouldn’t even be this difficult to say, this is  _ Phil  _ after all.

“I, um, I like you,” Dan blurts out and, after realising what he’s just said, his eyes widen. That’s not even what he’d wanted to say, for fuck’s sake. 

Phil, for his part, looks absolutely unperturbed. “Well, we do spend most of our time together, it’d be kinda weird if you didn’t.”

“No, I mean, I like like you,” Dan says because he’s on a roll and even if this wasn’t what he’d originally meant to confess, he’s going all the way now. 

“Oh,” is all Phil says but despite the way he’s said it, there’s a smile on his lips. “Really?” he asks, like Dan isn’t stupidly, stupidly in love with him, like he doesn’t want to spend ninety-nine percent of his time with Phil.

“Yeah.” 

Dan can feel his face heat up and he’s about to look away when Phil grasps his hand, letting their fingers intertwine. It makes Dan shiver, in a way that’s both uncomfortable and completely welcome at the same time.  

“I like you, too,” Phil says, with so much sincerity and happiness that Dan can’t help but smile too. He bumps their shoulders together and then leans his head on Phil’s shoulder, shuffling closer to him. 

“I really, really like you, Dan Howell,” Phil whispers into his hair and Dan thinks that maybe it will be okay. Maybe neither of them will ever find their soulmate and they can just stay like this forever.

 

*

 

Dan knows he should’ve seen this coming. All this thinking about soulmates and the possibilities of ending up with someone other than Phil, someone new, and he never even once considered that his soulmate might be someone he’s known for years.

Or course, there’s been quite a few friends who’ve found out their soulmates are an acquaintance or a friend but most soulmates don’t meet when they’re young, so he hadn’t actually thought that to be a possibility for him.

As it turns out, having known your soulmate for five years while never actually knowing them to  _ be your soulmate _ is an actual thing.

It happens during one of their sleepovers, both of them crammed into Phil’s single bed, their limbs coordinated in a way they both aren’t sure they’ll be able to move during the night without waking the other up. 

Dan’s almost asleep, despite Phil’s steady heartbeat right underneath where his head is resting on Phil’s chest, when Phil speaks up.

“Do you think fish get thirsty?”

The words don’t even register in Dan’s mind at first but suddenly the skin above his hipbone stings and then itches and Dan can’t do anything other than gasp at the subtle pain. The sensation is gone as quickly as it came and then Phil’s stifling a yawn above him and Dan feels incredibly dizzy, his head spinning with the possible meaning of this moment that he’s heard about so many times. He digs his hands into Phil’s shirt and ignores Phil’s question of what’s wrong, because he  _ needs to know. _

He scrambles to sit up and yanks up his shirt, looking at his abdomen in the sparse moon light falling through the window, right at the spot where the words are supposed to be. 

“Phil,” he whispers, not quite believing what he’s seeing. Or rather, what he isn’t seeing. 

Phil’s sitting up as well, frowning as he looks down at where Dan’s gaze is fixed. “Is everything okay?”

“Phil,” Dan says again, slowly looking up at him. He’s distantly aware that he’s shaking but he feels detached, like this isn’t actually happening to him. “I think you’re my soulmate.”

For the fraction of a second, nothing happens. And then Phil’s hand flies up to his chest and he gasps. He’s quicker than Dan at reacting and by the time he’s pulled up his shirt, they both watch the last letters of  _ soulmate  _ disappear.

“Oh God.” Dan feels giddy all of a sudden, like he’s drunk a whole litre of coke in one go and is now on a sugar high that will make him do the craziest things. “What the  _ fuck _ .”

Instead of replying, Phil just laughs. He laughs and throws his arms around Dan, pulling him in and peppering him with kisses all over his hair and face, making Dan fucking  _ giggle  _ as he turns around in Phil’s embrace and reciprocates the kisses.

All things considered, he really should’ve known that there was never the possibility of someone other than Phil being his soulmate. Especially taking into account how weird that sentence on his skin was. 


End file.
